Ireland's islands, secret vacation havens around the coast (PHOTOS)

The unspoilt beautiful islands are dotted around the country’s coast from Mizen to Malin Head
Photo by: Getty Images/iStockphoto

The East

Ireland’s Eye

An early Christian monastic site, now uninhabited, Ireland’s Eye lies just off the Dublin coastline. St. Nessan founded a monastery here in the sixth century and today the remains of an eight-century church can still be seen. In the early 19th century a Martello Tower was built to defend against attack from France.

It’s now best known for bird-watching, with bird-watchers flocking to the island in droves between late spring and late summer.